We Make Cookie Monster Eat Vegetables & Chat About Fitness

Cookie Monster isn’t just a monster for cookies. He’s also crazy for fruits and vegetables, which he gobbles with the same kind of Om-nom-nom-nom passion as he has for cookies. He also works out at the gym — yes, there’s a gym on Sesame Street — lest you assume he’s a baked goods chomping slob with no concern for his health. These were just two of the many things I found out about the furry blue icon when he was in Singapore to promote Sesame Street’s #ShareTheLaughter campaign, which hopes to spread laughter around the world, as well as his own book, The Joy Of Cookies: Cookie Monster's Guide To Life.
Joining him was fellow Sesame Street character Abby Cadabby, who I have to admit I am completely unfamiliar with. My friends were also clueless about the pink puppet — after all it’s been eons since Sesame Street was must-see TV for us. Well, except for a pal, who furrows her brows at our ignorance before saying: “Of course, I know who she is! I have three kids, you know.”
For the uninitiated, Abby Cadabby is a relatively new resident on the Sesame Street. First introduced in 2006, Abby is a fairy-in-training, hence her wings, and is known to have magical powers, which explains why her name is a play on the word ‘abracadabra’.
Abby is also quite the sweetheart. When she found out how nervous I was doing this interview, she gave us a little hug and beamed: “You’ll do great!” And abby cadabby, I instantly felt better.
I know what you’re wondering: What’s so nerve-wracking about interviewing two super cute puppets? Well, the 8 DAYS studio that morning was jam-packed with some 20 colleagues from different departments, all of whom wanted to meet Cookie Monster in the flesh, we mean, fur. What was supposed to be a private tete-a-tete suddenly became a mini press con. Cookie and Abby may be used to the all the attention — they’ve been on CNN and SNL and NPR. But me? The only famous things I’ve been on are the ECP, PIE and AYE.
But I totally understand why my colleagues didn’t mind coming across like five-year-old groupies. Not everyone gets a chance to meet their childhood idols, especially one as beloved as Cookie Monster. When you see him up close — yes, he’s smaller in person but his blue fur is so lush, you’d want to rub your face all over it, which is what we did — you suddenly feel like you’re a child all over again. And when you hear Cookie Monster go, “Om-nom-nom-nom”, live and in stereo for the first time, you’ve got to be dead inside if you don’t start chuckling like a five-year-old.

Cookie Monster with his puppeteer David Rudman

Abby with her puppeteer Leslie Carrara.

This writer with Cookie and Abby.